Best Water Leak Detector: Underground, WiFi, Smart, Infrared, Portable, And More Reviewed
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.
| Best For… | |
| Smart Home |
 |
| WiFi |
 |
| Professional Monitoring |
 |
| Budget |
 |
Water leaks can cause severe damage to your home and cost you a lot of money in repairs. The longer the water sits, the worse the damage will be. That’s why it’s so important to have a reliable way to detect water leaks as soon as they happen. See which water leak detectors we’ve chosen as our top picks for a variety of needs you may have in your home.
Article Overview
- Do You Need A Water Leak Detector?
- Things to Consider Before Purchasing
- Best Water Leak Detectors
- How Does A Leak Detector Work? (Video)
- What Other Home Detectors Do You Need?
Why Do I Need A Water Leak Detector?
It makes sense to have a water leak detector in your home for several reasons. When you can detect a leak instantly, it will reduce the cost of your water bill, limit the amount of damage to your property and minimize the amount of work it will take to clean up the mess when a leak occurs.
It also makes sense to understand what homeowners insurance covers when it comes to water damage so you can best protect your home.
Consider These 8 Things Before Purchasing
Here are some factors and specific features you’ll want to consider when choosing a home water leak detector.
- Areas to monitor: Decide where you’ll need to place the water leak sensor or if you need something specific for a basement or to monitor water consumption.
- Battery or plug-in: Battery-powered wireless water leak detectors make it easy to monitor places that are far from outlets, while plug-ins don’t require you to change a battery for them to function.
- Built-in alarm: A detector with a built-in alarm will sound a siren so that you immediately pinpoint where the leak is coming from.
- Freeze sensor: Some detectors can alert you when they sense freezing conditions to help avoid pipes bursting.
- Alerts: Some water detectors can also alert you through a base station or an app.
- Smart-home integration: If you already have a smart home product, like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, you should consider a product that works with it.
- Installation: Will you install this yourself or need to hire a professional?
- Added costs: Be aware that there are often added costs if your detection system requires a base station or a professional monitoring plan.
Best Water Leak Detectors
We took all the guesswork off your plate by checking out lots of products and choosing our top picks in the following categories.
Smart Home | WiFi | Professional Monitoring | Budget
Best Smart Home Water Leak Detector: StreamLabs
The StreamLabs Smart Home Water Monitor detects leaks and freezing conditions throughout your entire home with just one device. You can remotely monitor your home with 24/7 real-time alerts sent directly to your app, and this device is compatible with Amazon Alexa.
Not only will the device detect leaks and freezing, but it also monitors everyday water usage, which helps you track changes and keep water bills down.
DIY installation is quick and easy and doesn’t require any pipe cutting or professional installation. All you have to do is attach one monitor to your pipes. This plug-in monitor needs to be within 5 feet of an outlet, or you’ll need an extension cord. Also, it doesn’t have an audible alarm.
Pros |
Cons |
|
Price:
Best WiFi Water Leak Detector: Honeywell Lyric
The Honeywell Lyric WiFi Water Leak and Freeze Detector detects leaks, senses temperatures from 30°F to 150°F and sends alerts for humidity, which can help prevent mold formation.
You receive alerts through the smartphone app, text and email. There is also an audible alarm. WiFi is built-in, and this leak detector doesn’t require a base station. It also includes a 4-foot water sensing cable that expands the coverage of your water detection area. You can purchase additional cables to expand it up to 500 feet.
Even though you can place it in a variety of spots around your home, like the basement or garage, you must place it near potential leaks for it to be effective. They do not include batteries, and it gets complicated if you want to use multiple units around your home because the directions for installing multiple detectors are vague at best.
Pros |
Cons |
|
Price:
- $90.21 for detector
- Check Amazon for availability each for cable sensor
Best Water Leak Detector With Professional Monitoring: SimpliSafe
Our pick for best water leak detector with professional monitoring is the SimpliSafe Water Sensor. This leak detector stands out because it’s part of a home security system. You can add this to your existing SimpliSafe system, or you may want to consider adding a home security system to protect your home from perils beyond just water leaks.
When the water sensor detects water, an audible alarm sounds, and you will get alerts on your smartphone through the app, text and email. In addition to the water sensor, SimpliSafe offers a variety of sensors, and you can connect up to 100 sensors to the base of your security system.
Personal Experience
We have this home security system in our second home, and the most valuable part of it so far has proved to be the water leak and freeze sensors. Since the house is in a colder climate, we are commonly concerned about frozen pipes and knowing these are monitored so we can quickly respond if there is an issue. These sensors help us rest assured. – Michelle S., homeowner
Because this leak detector is part of a home security system, equipment costs are higher. And there’s a monthly fee if you go with professional monitoring. You can place the sensor in multiple locations around your home, but the sensor needs to be near a potential leak. You also don’t get alerts when the battery is low.
Pros |
Cons |
|
Price
You can see all the options for pricing and packages on SimpliSafe’s website. You’ll have the option of several pre-built packages, as well as building your system a la carte.
Monitoring Options
You can purchase a SimpliSafe Security System without a monitoring plan, but you will only be alerted by local alarms. Adding the monitoring allows you to get the most out of this system.
| Standard | Interactive | |
|---|---|---|
| Price Per Month | $14.99 | $24.99 |
| 24/7 Professional Monitoring |  |
|
| Cellular Connection | |
|
| Environmental Monitoring | |
|
| Mobile App | |
|
| Unlimited Camera Recording | |
|
| Home Automation | |
Read Our In-Depth SimpliSafe Review
Best Budget Water Leak Detector: Govee
What’s great about the Govee Water Alarm is that you can use these budget-friendly alarms independently without a base station. Govee also sells a remote monitoring kit if you decide you want that option. But even the cost of the kit, which comes with one alarm, and adding a couple of extra Govee alarms is still less expensive than other products we review here.
One unique feature of the Govee water alarm is that there are 2 sets of water probes on the back and one on the front to detect leaks on the floor and drips that come from above. You will also enjoy the ultra-loud built-in alarm that you can hear from anywhere in your home. And the low-battery alert lets you know when to change the batteries.
Just keep in mind that you must purchase the remote monitoring kit, which has a WiFi gateway, if you want smartphone alerts for water leaks. Just like with Honeywell and Simplisafe, the location of the sensor is flexible, but you also must place it near a potential leak to be effective.
Pros |
Cons |
|
Price:
How Does A Leak Detector Work?
Check out this 2-minute video that shows how the Govee water alarm works and even gives you a few ideas on where to put the sensors around your home.
What Other Home Detectors Are Useful?
Water leak detectors are an essential component of home security. They help you stay ahead of the damage that an undetected water leak can cause. However, water leaks aren’t the only thing that you should be monitoring to keep your home and family safe. Our experts show you how to detect other potential hazards around your home.
